Fishing for this month’s Wildlife Express critters might be just what you need to kick off spring

Human beings aren’t the only species hankering for some sun this time of year. Panfish, the subject of April’s Wildlife Express newsletter, tend to be most aggressive as the weather warms in spring, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and fish for them. 

Panfish is a general term for a range of smaller fish species, including bluegill, pumpkinseed, crappie and perch. Most panfish are found in lakes, ponds, reservoirs and slow-moving rivers, so chances are good there are opportunities to catch them right in your backyard. 

They’re fascinating fish, and have long been a favorite target for anglers young and old, new and experienced, who appreciate their aggressiveness during spring, when they are abundant and accessible.

Sometimes it’s good to go back to the basics with angling. A simple tacklebox and bait selection gets the job done with most panfish, and almost any fly that floats and causes a ripple will get a bluegill’s attention, along with their cousins — pumpkinseed and crappie. Perch are a little different and often occupy larger lakes and reservoirs, but also provide lots of good fishing action. 

If you’re unsure where to find a good local fishing hole brimming with panfish, check out Fish and Game’s Fishing Planner for some ideas.

Panfish Facts

• Bluegill form large groups when it’s time to spawn or lay eggs. As many as 50 males come together to make nests.
• To impress the females, male bluegill bellies turn bright orange, and they do a song and dance routine.
• It takes roughly 8 years to produce a 7-inch bluegill.
• Pumpkinseed and bluegill will interbreed, and hybrids have been found in Idaho.
• Pumpkinseed spawn in spring and early summer. The males make nests in colonies of three to 15 males.
• Black crappie have seven or eight sharp spines in the fin; white crappie have five to six spines. We have both black and white crappie in Idaho. 
• The eyes of crappie contain a structure called a tapetum lucidum (ta-PEE-tuhm LOO-seeduhm). This structure reflects light off the back of the eye and stimulates light-sensitive cells a second time, improving night vision. This is what causes eyeshine in cats and dogs when a light hits their eyes in the dark; their eyes appear to glow.
• Yellow perch are often the first fish to spawn once ice melts off a lake.
• Unlike trout and other panfish, yellow perch do not lay their eggs in nests. To give the eggs some protection, yellow perch lay their eggs in shallow water close to water plants.

Check out Fish and Game’s Wildlife Express newsletter webpage to read more about the Idaho’s panfish and opportunities to catch them.